The RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Higher Education and Science Committee

The 55th meeting of the Governing Board of the International Science and Technology Center

02.07.2012

The Governing Board of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) held its 55th meeting in Moscow. Тhe Republic of Armenia participated in the meeting as the rotating CIS Board member.

The Members of the ISTC Governing Board gathered in Moscow to discuss developments with respect to the ISTC and set the direction and priorities for future action.

The Governing Board continued a discussion on the consequences of the diplomatic note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation of 13 July 2011 announcing the withdrawal of Russia from the ISTC in 2015. Until that time, the diplomatic note states, all the provisions of the ISTC Agreement will remain fully in force. All approved projects in the Russian Federation are to be completed within the remaining timeframe.

 

There was widespread agreement among the Parties that the inclusion of Russia in post-2015 multilateral scientific engagement would be a welcome development.

 

The Funding Parties, along with Armenia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Tajikistan discussed the changes in the ISTC Agreement and other ISTC statutory documents required in order to adequately deal with the consequences of the announced withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the work of the Center and the prospective transfer of its Headquarters to Kazakhstan. Work on these matters is to continue, with the assistance of the ISTC Secretariat, with a view to preparing to amend the ISTC agreement.

 

Representatives of the ISTC CIS countries reiterated their position that ISTC should continue its activities in their countries - now and beyond 2015 - on the basis of the ISTC Agreement of 1992. They asked the Funding Parties to continue project funding, as well as various supplemental programs, for the benefit of scientists and engineers in their countries. The countries expressed their readiness to co-finance programs and projects on a systematic basis, taking their respective economic situations into account.